- Culturally interesting
- Place to stop for a bite to eat
RuhrtalRadweg
The RuhrtalRadweg offers 230 kilometers of cycling adventures to suit every taste. Diverse landscapes and culture from the Sauerland to the Ruhr region
Tour starting point:
Winterberg
Tour destination point:
Duisburg-Ruhrort
Properties:
Additional Information
www.ruhrtalradweg.deCategory
FlussradwegLength
230.3 kmDuration
15:25 hElevation ascent
890 mElevation descent
1520 mLowest point
26 mHighest point
693 mCondition
Difficulty
Recommended seasons
One of Germany’s most diverse and multifaceted rivers, with its riverside paths, invites visitors to explore an entire region. No other river in Germany combines culture and nature so closely within such a small area. Over its 230 kilometers from its source near Winterberg to its mouth on the Rhine near Duisburg, the Ruhr connects the unspoiled landscape of the Sauerland with the exciting and vibrant Ruhr Metropolis.
Information
Directions
Signage: Consistentsignage , including town names and kilometer markers as well as a custom logo, guides you from the source to the mouth of the river. The RuhrtalRadweg’s stopover towns from the source to the mouth:Winterberg – Olsberg – Meschede – Bestwig – Arnsberg – Wickede – Ense – Fröndenberg – Iserlohn – Menden – Schwerte – Holzwickede – Hagen - Dortmund - Herdecke - Wetter - Witten - Bochum - Hattingen - Essen - Mülheim an der Ruhr - Oberhausen - Duisburg Trail conditions:Approx. 50% separate bike paths, away from roadsApprox. 30% forest roads and local side streetsApprox. 15% along major thoroughfares with dedicated bike lanes Route characteristics:• Primarily a river-side bike path, largely car-free on separate bike paths and forest roads.• Sections at risk of flooding are marked with signs indicating a flood detour.• The landscape varies from the forested low-mountain range terrain to the riverine cultural landscape of the Sauerland region and on to the industrial cultural landscape of the Ruhr metropolitan area.• Passing through towns offers attractive opportunities for sightseeing and shopping.
Safety guidelines
Here you'll find information on current detours and hazardous areas:
Accessibility: The RuhrtalRadweg is accessible and, for the most part, barrier-free. We recommend that less experienced cyclists start in Olsberg. Please also note our route information
Author Tip
The RuhrtalRadweg Travel Passport is available at every tourist information office along the route; you can find the addresses in the 2016 Tour Guide as well as on the respective city’s stamp page. There, you can also have the page stamped.
Maps
... the "Kompakt-Spiralo" from BVA Bielefelder Verlag. It provides you with excellent guidance along the RuhrtalRadweg. In a handy format (23x12 cm), it features clear maps at a scale of 1:50,000 as well as detailed tourist information, useful addresses, and tips. Includes a current tour guide with all the information on lodging and services—you can get the Kompakt-Spiralo for just 9.95 euros.
... Bruckmann’s Cycling Guide by Mathias Eickhoff. It describes the RuhrtalRadweg, divided into 16 daily stages, across 192 pages with plenty of helpful information and insider tips. Including a map section at a scale of 1:75,000, the bike guide is available for just 14.95 euros.
... the “RuhrtalRadweg” cycling travel guide by Mathias Eickhoff, as it combines the best of a richly illustrated coffee-table book with the practical tips of a touring and travel guide. The book is the “all-inclusive package” for any cycling vacation along the Ruhr. Featuring many atmospheric photos of the RuhrtalRadweg, the guidebook is available for 19.95 euros.
... Bruckmann’s Cycling Guide by Mathias Eickhoff. It describes the RuhrtalRadweg, divided into 16 daily stages, across 192 pages with plenty of helpful information and insider tips. Including a map section at a scale of 1:75,000, the bike guide is available for just 14.95 euros.
... the “RuhrtalRadweg” cycling travel guide by Mathias Eickhoff, as it combines the best of a richly illustrated coffee-table book with the practical tips of a touring and travel guide. The book is the “all-inclusive package” for any cycling vacation along the Ruhr. Featuring many atmospheric photos of the RuhrtalRadweg, the guidebook is available for 19.95 euros.
Public transit
You can reach Winterberg (Westf) quickly and conveniently. There is an hourly service from Hagen and a service every two hours from Kassel. The trip between Dortmund and Winterberg takes 104 minutes. This service runs six times on weekdays and twelve times on weekends.
How to get there
Winterberg, the source of the Ruhr, or the train station:
From the north: A7 Hamburg–Hanover – A2 Bielefeld – A33 Paderborn – take the Wünnenberg exit, toward Brilon > Olsberg > Winterberg
From the south: A5 Frankfurt–Giessen – take the Marburg exit, toward Allendorf > Winterberg
From the west: A44 Dortmund–Kassel – take the Werl exit, follow signs for A46 Arnsberg > Meschede > Bestwig > Olsberg > Winterberg
From the east: A44 Kassel–Dortmund – Zierenberg exit, toward B251 Korbach > Medebach > Winterberg
Parking
You'll find free parking spaces both at the Winterberg train station and at the source of the Ruhr.